Aubrey ran up the stone steps in the Slytherin common room up to her dormitory to find Elle and Anastasia lounging on their green and silver coloured beds.

"How'd it go?" Elle asked, looking up from her book.

"Horrible!" Aubrey cried, shooting an annoyed look towards Gabrielle and Celinda as she wished they would leave the room.

"Um," Gabby started, quickly noticing Aubrey's stares. "I'm going to go see what's happening downstairs...come on, Celinda" she muttered, dragging her friend out of the room.

"What happened, Bree?" Elle asked once the other girls had left the room.

Aubrey sat next to Elle on her bed and retold her story of how Riddle had volunteered to tutor her in Defence Against the Dark Arts, much to Stretton's delight.

"He's messing with you" Elle said, coolly.

"It's like a game for him" Anastasia agreed.

"And you have got to play back!" Elle added, bright eyed.

"I don't have to do anything!" Aubrey retorted back, defiantly.

"Sweetheart" Elle started sympathetically, "you have got to quit lying to yourself!"

Aubrey raised her eyebrows, giving Elle a suspicious look.

"You know you like him" Elle continued, "I mean, everyone likes him...and I think he actually likes you, so why not give it a shot?"

"Because he's an ass" Aubrey said calmly.

"He is" Elle agreed, "and that's why you have to be one right back."

"Exactly!" Anastasia exclaimed, "if you're being difficult, he'll want you even more...boys are strange that way."

"I guess..." Aubrey shrugged, trying not to get her hopes up that Tom Riddle could possibly want her.

"Excellent!" Elle said cheerfully, leaping off the bed. "You'll act all irresistible...it will give you some control...and you'll have Riddle under your thumb in no time!"

"You're so lucky!" Anastasia added, gawking at Aubrey who only rolled her eyes in response.

The girls got ready for bed and Aubrey smiled to herself, replaying over Elle and Anastasia's words. While so far Aubrey had allowed the handsome wizard to overpower her, she was now ready for Tom to start stumbling himself. Aubrey's smile grew wider, she was ready to play Tom Riddle's game.


The next day Aubrey headed to Transfiguration late in order to avoid Tom, who often lingered with his group of friends outside of Dumbledore's classroom. Aubrey had just reached the room when the professor arrived, and she rushed quickly into the class towards her seat. She began to pull out her book when, much to her dismay, she saw Tom abandon his friends at the back and walk towards Aubrey's seat in the front row. The Hufflepuff girl that sat beside Aubrey looked up at Tom, who now stood over her, with a confused expression.

"You can sit over there today" he said to her pleasantly.

"Okay" she muttered quietly and headed towards his empty desk.

Aubrey did not acknowledge Tom but instead kept her focus straight ahead on Professor Dumbledore. He explained and demonstrated the spell that the class would be practicing and, like usual, left the students the remainder of the hour to practice. Tom and Aubrey stood at their desk in silence, each taking a turn casting the spell, attempting to turn mice into large, hardcover books. Tom went first and immediately turned his mouse into a thick manuscript. It was an excellent success for a first attempt, Aubrey had to admit, even though Tom's cover was furry and had a small tail trailing out of the spine. Aubrey then took her turn and had similar results, but by the end of the hour, both she and Tom had each managed to use the incantation successfully. Dumbledore dismissed the class and as Aubrey went to exit the room, she felt Tom's tall frame sneak up behind her.

"Don't you forget about Slughorn's club tonight, Miss Knight" he said in a low whisper, "I'm so looking forward to your presence and you would...hate to miss out."

Aubrey wasn't sure what Tom meant and, confused by his words, Elle and Anastasia's advice escaped her. She did not retort coolly or even respond to Tom Riddle, but instead exited the classroom silently and returned to the Slytherin common room.

"I can't do this" Aubrey said to Elle once she returned to the dormitory, "I can't handle him."

"What do you mean?" Elle asked.

"He says two sentences to me and I go completely blank!" Aubrey replied, frustrated.

"Remember" Elle said calmly, "you have to be strong...fight back."

"I know...but I couldn't think of anything."

"It's okay" Elle continued reassuringly, "we have the Slug Club tonight...you'll go, do great, and Tom Riddle won't know what hit him."

Aubrey forced a smile and felt her anxiety slowly decrease. She did have tonight to try again and was confident that she would be able to play Tom with Elle and Anastasia, who were also members of the Slug Club, by her side.

"I think you should wear your dress tonight" Elle said, motioning to the black Laurier dress that hung on Aubrey's wardrobe. "We don't have to wear Hogwart's uniforms once classes are over" she continued, smiling.

Later that evening, once dinner was over, the three girls headed further into the dungeons for Slughorn's meeting.

"We're late!" Anastasia snapped, stumbling as she tried to fix the straps on her shoes.

"It's okay" Elle said unconvincingly as they made their way down the final stone corridor, "just be cool."

"At least we look good" Aubrey added, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach that seemed to appear whenever she knew she'd be seeing Tom.

"True!" Anastasia said, now flicking her long, golden hair over her shoulder. "I hope Abraxas appreciates all-"

"Ladies!" a booming voice interrupted, "so good of you to join us...I was concerned that you had gotten lost" Slughorn beamed as he motioned the girls inside his classroom.

A long, wooden table stood in the center of the stone room, its matching seats occupied by an array of Hogwarts students. Slughorn took a seat at the head of the table while Tom Riddle sat in the dead center, surrounded either side by members of his group. Across from him stood three empty chairs.

"You take the middle seat, Bree" Elle whispered as the girls approached the table.

"Remember, it's game time" Anastasia added seriously.

The girls made their way to the chairs, and as Aubrey sat down a new feeling of confidence suddenly swept over her. All eyes were on them as the three entered the room and Aubrey couldn't help but notice that Tom's eyes never left her figure as she made her way to her seat. The meeting was what Aubrey expected, as it consisted of Slughorn asking students about themselves and their famous family members and Slughorn's connection to them. Aubrey drifted in and out of attention throughout the meeting but for the entire hour she could feel Tom stare at her, though she never returned eye contact for more than a split second.

Ignore him. Pretend he isn't even there she thought to herself.

Sixty minutes had passed before Slughorn released the students and instructed them to return to their common rooms. The girls were just about to walk down the long corridor when Abraxas grabbed Anastasia's arm and pulled her aside, leaving Elle and Aubrey waiting. A boy quickly stepped forward towards them, his Gryffindor coloured tie hanging loosely from his neck.

"Hey Elle" he said, joining the two girls, "how was your summer?"

Elle and the Gryffindor chatted for a few minutes before Aubrey was finally introduced.

"I'm David Loxias he said, "Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team" he said proudly, shaking Aubrey's hand. "I almost applied for the exchange program myself" he continued, "it's a great opportunity."

"Really great" Aubrey agreed.

"We should get together sometime" he said, stepping closer towards her, "talk about the experience of studying abroad-"

"I wouldn't bother if I were you, Loxias" a cool voice interjected.

"What's that, Riddle?" David asked, "we're you saying something?"

"Yes" Tom replied matter of factly, "I was just about to say that mudblood Gryffindors shouldn't waste their efforts on Slytherins...would hate for you to have yet another rejection Loxias."

"Why you-" the boy started, stepping towards Tom.

"Careful" Tom said calmly, "you wouldn't want to lose your Quidditch privileges now would you, Captain?" Tom sneered and David walked away, without saying goodbye to Aubrey.

"Charming" Aubrey said, once Tom's eyes had now locked with hers.

"Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it" Tom retorted, smiling.

"Don't flatter yourself by thinking that I did" Aubrey replied coolly, turning on her heel to join Elle and Anastasia, who were grinning widely.

The three girls began to walk down the corridor when Tom's voice echoed against the stone walls.

"So I'll be seeing you tomorrow night then?" he asked with a wink, as if Aubrey was meeting him for something more than studying.

Aubrey looked over her shoulder, glaring coldly at the handsome boy.

"In your dreams-"

"You'd be begging me not to stop" Tom interjected, causing the group of male Slytherin's to erupt into fits of laughter.

"Bite me, Riddle" Aubrey replied, quickly walking away with Elle and Anastasia to the sound of whistles and cat calls.


"He certainly likes you!" Elle said the next morning as the girls got ready before breakfast.

"You did really well" Anastasia added.

"Yeah?" Aubrey asked, still unsure.

"Definitely!" Elle said reassuringly.

"He was completely rude though" said Aubrey.

"You were rude back" Anastasia retorted.

"I was, wasn't I?" Aubrey asked, laughing.

"Isn't it fun though?" Elle asked.

"What?" asked Aubrey.

"Being bad? Not following the rules? Being a Slytherin?" Elle said excitedly.

"It kind of is" smiled Aubrey, pulling her skirt up higher so it matched Elle's.